Real ale supporters throw backing behind takeover

Aug 8 2008 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

THE Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has pledged to give its support to any buyer who will keep Cains brewery in production.

The real ale sector may initially appear conservative, but like any other industry it has seen a series of takeovers and mergers in recent years.

Some of those deals have proved controversial as historic breweries have closed.

Cains’ beers, including IPA, Raisin Beer and 2008 Culture Beer have been proving popular at the Great British Beer Festival this week, and CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said he did not want to see the Cains name and brewery disappear.

He said: “Beer drinkers in Liverpool should not lose out because of the credit crunch and we will support any company that puts forward a rescue plan for the ailing brewer to ensure great beer con-tinues to be brewed at the Stanhope Street Brewery.

“We hope that the Cains stand at the Great British Beer Festival won’t be the last stand for Cains beers.”

One of the most acquisitive British brewers in recent years has been Suffolk-based Greene King.

In 1999, the Bury St Edmunds company bought Morland, which owned 422 pubs and brands including Ruddles and Old Speckled Hen. Since then it has bought several pub companies and hundreds of individual pubs, Essex brewer T D Ridley & Sons and Scottish brewer Belhaven.

Its takeover of Hardys and Hansons in 2006 proved controversial as the company’s Nottingham brewery was closed down with production moved to Bury St Edmunds. The move was heavily criticised by CAMRA.

In 2005, London brewer Fullers took over Hampshire brewer George Gale. The following year, it announced it was closing the Gales brewery and moving production to its London base.

The British brewing sector is largely domin-ated by international corporations who are themselves not immune from takeover activity.

Last month, Anheuser-Busch agreed to a takeover by Belgian giant and Stella Artois brewer InBev, while earlier this year Carlsberg and Heineken joined forces to carve up Newcastle Brown Ale owner Scottish & Newcastle.